In honor of this momentous occasion, I would like to pay homage to the john, the crapper, the throne! So today, be nice to your toilet. Remember to give it a little toilet bowl cleaner and a scrub down. Maybe even put a decorative cover on the seat!

In all seriousness, the WTO is asking people to take a few moments to think about some environmental issues associated with toilets. Below are there recommendations. If you visit their website, they are also asking for $5 online donations.

World Toilet Organization (WTO) stands up for the 3 “WE (s)” in the theme “We Deserve Better”.

• WE: Toilets deserve better social status.  WTO has been striving to elevate the status of toilets to make  them status symbols and objects of desire.  WTO speaks on behalf of toilets “WE DESERVE BETTER SOCIAL STATUS”.
• WE: The second WE are the toilet cleaners.  WTO aims to professionalize the sanitation and restroom industry and to upgrade the skill sets of the restoom cleaners.  WTO speaks on behalf of the toilet cleaners “WE DESERVE BETTER PAY, RESPECT AND PROSPECTS”.
• WE: WTO speaks on behalf of 2.5 billion toilet-less people, “WE DESERVE BETTER PLACES TO DEFECATE — PROPER TOILETS”.

This week’s Cool Animator of the Week is DUCK director Richard Borge. Click on the thumbnails above to see samples of Richard’s work, and read below to learn all about this rad animator!

BIO: 
After graduating from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, Richard went on to receive an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He then took a full-time position teaching illustration and design at Western Carolina University in NC. Richard moved to NYC in December 1994. He has taught part time at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI and at The School of Visual Arts, NYC. Early in 2003 he taught two illustration workshops in Paris at Intuit Lab and Strate College Designers.

Richard works on primarily editorial and corporate/advertising illustration and music packaging (imaging and design). Most recently he has begun also working in animation and motion graphics. Last but not least is personal projects, which usually work their way into the commercial projects.

CLIENTS/AWARDS:
A partial client list includes: AVID, Sony Music, MTV, Concord Records/Ozomatli, Atlantic Records, ESPN, Business Week, Verizon, Time, Newsweek, ATT, Ford Motor Co., American Express, Deutcshe Bank, Reebok, IBM, Coca-Cola, Callaway Golf and WPP Group.
Awards: Communication Arts, Print,The Society of Illustrators (NY and LA), and American Illustration.

CURRENT PROJECTS:
Illustrations for Business Week, Builder Magazine, In Tune (Holland) Magazine, Worth Magazine, The Utne Reader.
Animation: recently finished an advertising animation for AVID. Other than that, just organizing the reel and writing treatments for a variety of music videos.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
“I have worked with DUCK for a little over 2 years. I have written numerous treatments, and was awarded projects for OZOMATLI and JESCA HOOP. Both of those videos were fantastic to work on, and I think I enjoy the HOOP video more, as I had more experience and wasn’t as worried about it. I also had far fewer tech problems because I learned a lot on the OZOMATLI project that helped it go smoother. I was able to just have fun. I get into such a groove when I work on the animated videos.”

FAVORITE THINGS:
Family lake cabin in MN, skiing (water and snow), frisbee, grilling, film, eating out with friends (Japanese and Thai are favorites). Richard just got a place in Brooklyn that has a garden, and last summer he had a good time with that and working on the new apartment.

To learn more about Richard, check out his website: http://www.richardborge.com
If you’re interested in having Richard animate a spot for you, please contact Mark (mark@duckstudios.com).

Jesca Hoop, “Money” (2008)
Directed by Richard Borge

However, as we stomped East along Santa Monica Blvd on our way through Beverly Hills and beyond, I was struck silent by the question of “when?”
Proposition 8 was on the California State ballot this November 4th. This proposition (for lack of a better word) proposed that the state Constitution be amended to define marriage as a union specifically between a man and a woman, which would overturn a recent California Supreme Court decision that recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right. A “yes” vote on Prop 8 would amend the State Constitution thus eliminating the right for everyone to marry, and in turn, a vote of “NO” would allow California to carry on as we have been for months now, with marriage rights to everyone.
After the polls closed on Tuesday night, although there were still votes to be counted, it was projected that Prop 8 would pass and the presumed liberal Californian voters would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.  Understandably, taking away people’s rights in this country doesn’t just get a “we understand, maybe next time” nod from the crowd, so people took to the streets to let Los Angeles know exactly what they thought.

So, now here I am among a crowd of hundreds of people who are stopping traffic, waving flags, and calling out to the vehicles who are waiting and honking in support, that they want what everyone else has, and they want it right now. Accompanying the protesters were about a dozen police officers on motorcycles, keeping the crowd as well as the oncoming traffic safe. Marching with the crowd, I noticed the cars waiting and business owners alike along the protest route would honk and yell in support and the crowd would yell and chant back at them. Which leads me to the question, “If everyone supports equal marriage rights, why did Proposition 8 pass?” No sooner did I ask myself this question, than an irate pedestrian approached the street and started yelling back at the crowd.
“Stop wasting our money!” he yelled.
I’m not sure what that had to do with equal rights, but the previously organized crowd heard this guy and turned to him and chanted the guy out of the street and back down the sidewalk path from which he came. This all happened within a few minuets, and with the protest protester gone, the march continued toward the East.
So back to my question of “when?”. I’m not sure, is the answer to be honest. But what a great country we live in where you can not only hear about both sides of a debate, but see it march down the street. Personally, I’m not gay nor do I plan on getting married anytime soon, but I don’t think that should stop anyone else from having the choice to marry when ever they feel the time is right for them. So, if you see this on-going debate pass along the roadway, give a honk and and yell of support, or even better, get out of your vehicle and stride along beside them.

WHAT DO WE WANT?!

EQUALITY!

WHEN DO WE GET IT?!

Soon, I hope.

Lane and Jan

Roger and Mariko Chouinard (left); Jan Chen (right)

Everyone has been buzzing around the office about the election. Although we try to keep our politics away from the office, as with most offices, sometimes politics creep in. But the most important thing is to go out and vote!

I waited in a line a good 80 minutes this morning in beautiful Palms, California about 2 miles from DUCK. The weather’s great! I had a blast. I can’t wait to go home tonight and have a SuperBowl style party to watch the results and hope that the counting in swing states is legitimate.

You also get free food at Krispy Kreme, Shane’s Ribs, Starbucks, and Ben & Jerrys’ today if you walk in wearing your “I Voted” sticker.

On Friday, everyone at DUCK gathered together for the annual Halloween parade and party. This is a tradition that has been going on at DUCK pretty much from day one. The picture above speaks for itself. Everybody gets into the act, and the costumes are always pretty fun and creative!

This year’s costume winner (on the far left) is animation director Jan Chen. The runner up was animation director Lane Nakamura (far right). Lane is also a finalist in American Apparel’s Halloween Contest, so please vote for him by clicking here. Everyone who dresses up gets to be entered into a raffle to win a prize. This year’s raffle winner was Eric Molena.

Kudos to everyone for sharing in the fun! Happy Halloween to all!

I think it does an outstanding job of being fun! It’s loaded with innuendos, but it handles them in a very classy way. “Classy baby, yeah!” (It also reminds me quite a lot of the Aardman commercials for Hershey’s that I previously blogged about.)

Agency: Vegaolmosponce, Argentina
Director: Tom Kuntz
Production Company: MJZ